Post by khelarald on Dec 1, 2015 6:51:34 GMT -6

New attack patterns, spells and so on, so the same enemy could surprise us again!Also, more aggressiveness, toughness and exclusive rewards. Being possible get REAL powerful only in Nightmare mode. Power-leveling feeling.

Post by caer on Dec 22, 2015 2:49:52 GMT -6

I'm in the same camp as Silver. Make everything hit harder and be faster/attack more often. That's the important stuff. Increased rate of attack makes it more likely to get hit if you're over eager, and increased damage output makes every hit you take count.

Increase in enemy health, especially for bosses is a given. No need to go overboard with it though.

I'm pretty sure we were already promised new attacks and placements for new game+, so I could see it be some synergy between the two there. Harder enemy placements is probably the best and most interesting thing for me.

Igavania games, in my opinion, don't really have an "AI" in them in the sense that some are talking about it here. It's just mobs who either have a preset path or aggro at a set distance and then attack at a certain rate. They're not really reacting to your actions more than that, nor should they. It's not really that type of game. I think fiddling with parameters for aggro distance, and speed of attack would serve the purpose. The enemies that have several attacks should probably also do the stronger ones more frequently.

Post by ClearAzure on Dec 23, 2015 15:24:11 GMT -6

My suggestion is an idea that basically tries to completely set apart Nightmare difficulty mode from the others. Something similar to a rank system seen in STGs where, while in-game, the difficulty adjusts based on some player metrics. For example:

Easy --- Normal --- Hard --- Nightmare

From left to right, we would expect an increase in difficulty based mostly off of certain enemy and player stats. And we would know pretty much what we're getting into when we start a game in either Easy, Normal, or Hard mode. However, Nightmare mode wouldn't work similarly. If we say that the difficulty factors for Easy, Normal, and Hard are 1.0, 1.5, and 2.5, respectively, we can correctly assume that those values will not change throughout entire playthroughs within Easy, Normal, or Hard. But Nightmare has the possibility to range between 2.5 and, say, 10.0 (!) from around the beginning of the game to the final boss (or true final boss maybe ).

Easy --- Normal --- Hard --- Nightmare

While in general there's a predictable linear spike in difficulty from Easy to Hard, Nightmare on its own has a dynamically-changing difficulty, a mechanism that no other difficulty setting in Bloodstained has. The difficulty actively changes during gameplay while playing in Nightmare. My example of ideas for this new mode are that, in Nightmare mode (while playing as Miriam):

Difficulty increases

Heavily when Miriam defeats a set number of enemies and mantains a health level of above 90% all within a certain timespan any time during gameplay.

Moderately when a boss is defeated.

Lightly when Miriam uses special weapons (like Axe, Dagger, Holy Water, etc.) and tends to replenish hearts/MP at a fast rate (assuming that hearts/MP are not regenerative and are only replenished by item drops).

Difficulty decreases

Heavily when Miriam dies and restarts from her last checkpoint OR experiences a massive health decrease throughout a short time duration (such as going from 100% to 10% health within 0-4 seconds).

Moderately when Miriam's health is less than 20% and sustains a high hit-to-miss ratio for a certain time period (hit-to-miss meaning able to hit enemies' damage collision boxes just about every time Miriam attacks or uses a special weapon and having hardly any where she whiffs an attack).

Lightly when Miriam's health is under 10% and manages to avoid taking damage for a set period of time.

NOTE: At any point of a run, the difficulty factor never goes below Hard level of difficulty AND caps at a certain point.

(This suggestion is mentioned assuming that a player can only be able to set the difficulty level once during a playthrough around the time the game starts and not be able to change difficulty settings once initially set and at any time mid-game.)

Post by purifyweirdsoul on Dec 29, 2015 9:00:10 GMT -6

crocodile, I pretty much agree entirely. I also like the idea of something story related being tied to New Game+ in either Normal or Hard/Nightmare modes.

I want to reiterate how I think it is necessary to reward the player with something in Nightmare. It doesn't have to be a huge deal. If the gameplay experience is different enough in itself, then that would be sufficient, but like I said earlier, it would be unfortunate if all of our input and the team's work implementing it went to waste by the average player writing this off as "the same thing, but more annoying to get through".

Also, I'm not really a fan of dynamic difficulty adjustments. I like for things to be consistent. It seems like an arbitrary, breaking of the fourth wall type thing for enemies to ease up on you when you're about to die/just took a lot of damage. Why should they do that? It's also not cool to me how the game can decide to amp things up exponentionally when you're playing well. If I'm doing well, I'm doing well. The game has to hold that. If I'm getting hit for a lot of damage, I should die. I think most that play higher difficulties are looking for that balance of risk/reward in it - you want to learn what to do and do it better, having an easier time when you do as opposed to having an easier time when you don't.

Post by purifyweirdsoul on Jan 12, 2016 8:21:15 GMT -6

Also, I'm not really a fan of dynamic difficulty adjustments. I like for things to be consistent.

Thats kind of the point though. Consistency is predictable, and in the end easy once you know what to do. Shaking up the consistency is always nice, as long as it doesn't go too overboard of course.

I'm down for the AI getting smarter in games, adjusting to what you do (so long as it's not just input reading or popping up behind you) -- that makes for a fun, almost fighting game-like experience. When it goes the other way and the AI eases up on you because you got knocked down or slip up, it's...a lot of things I don't like: awkward, unnatural, patronizing? If I messed up, let me legit mess up and do it right. If I'm doing it right, I'm doing it right, so don't 2x speed/spawn the enemies, give the AI instant reactions to essentially shoryuken me on the first frame or something, etc.

Post by Dvv on Jan 16, 2016 0:45:21 GMT -6

Thats kind of the point though. Consistency is predictable, and in the end easy once you know what to do. Shaking up the consistency is always nice, as long as it doesn't go too overboard of course.

I'm down for the AI getting smarter in games, adjusting to what you do (so long as it's not just input reading or popping up behind you) -- that makes for a fun, almost fighting game-like experience. When it goes the other way and the AI eases up on you because you got knocked down or slip up, it's...a lot of things I don't like: awkward, unnatural, patronizing? If I messed up, let me legit mess up and do it right. If I'm doing it right, I'm doing it right, so don't 2x speed/spawn the enemies give the AI instant reactions to essentially shoryuken me on the first frame or something, etc.

Post by spideryfingers on Jan 16, 2016 6:38:32 GMT -6

Another element that could be infused into Nightmare Mode is the lighting. Sounds stupid? Well, actually not. Here's what I'm getting at...

As we all know, Castlevania had candles, torches and light bulbs that were smashed to get hearts, money etc ... but the light never got dimmer! And so, in Nightmare Mode, if lights get accidentally/intentionally broken, logically, it's gonna get dark. Imagine fighting a boss in an area of the castle where there's lighting inside but with moonlight outside. Should all interior lights get damaged, you've only got eerie moonlight to fight in. But what if there's no moonlight? ... then fighting a boss will be an utter nightmare unless you've obtained an item (torch, glow crystals, flares, etc) that brings light.

Post by Astaroth on Jan 21, 2016 1:41:41 GMT -6

if level cap choices or relics that freeze your xp level arent a thing in the main game, greatly increased drop rates and a money boost need to be part of nightmare mode (poosibly with half xp depending on how fast/high you level), itd actually make the game significantly more difficult because you wont be overlevelled from trying to get that cool shiny sword, and coupled with other tweaks it could make for a challenging game without becoming unfairly hard because if you absolutely had to you could still grind for xp to increase your level alongside using that shiny new sword

Satoru Iwata: "On my business card, I am a corporate president. In my mind, I am a game developer. But in my heart, I am a gamer.” Game on Iwata-san

Post by ghaleon on Jan 29, 2016 15:40:27 GMT -6

That's certainly better than nothing but I actually prefer the option of having a higher difficulty if I want it right from the get go, not have it limited to post ng+. I I know this doesn't neccesarily mean you can't have both but I'm just saying.

Post by Pure Miriam on Nov 29, 2016 8:38:27 GMT -6

NIGHTMARE DIFFICULTY MODE

Here's my two cents

LEVEL CAP OR EXPANDED LEVELS?Nightmare Difficulty Mode could have Level caps (Cap at 50, at 25, at 1). But it could also be expanded levels, where enemies have their attributes absurdly multiplied and the player could break LV 100 and beyond.

ENEMIESEnemies at different places? Harder enemies right at beginning? Completely new enemies? Enemies with special status modes? (Like Berserk, or enraged, with higher stats).

Post by Redogan on Nov 29, 2016 9:41:21 GMT -6

Bloodstained's Nightmare Mode:-Save rooms are disabled; Auto-save happens after you defeat a boss-Miriam levels up at half the normal rate-Crafting system is disabled-Enemies hit for 2x normal damage-heal items (potions, etc) cost 5x more than normal

Post by Pure Miriam on Dec 24, 2016 2:16:21 GMT -6

Since i was gently quoted, (that post was from a thread i made, and that i was advised to let it here, instead of doing another thread), let me explain how i think Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night difficulty system should be overall.

FIRST TIME PLAYING: NORMAL MODEFirst time you turn on the game, select a new save file and start playing, you can't choose any difficulty at all. The game is locked on it's normal difficulty, that's something similar to Aria of Sorrow / Dawn of Sorrow / Portrait of Ruin of sorts. Not as easy as Symphony of the Night, not as hard as Order of Ecclesia. Accessible for newbies, and players that doesn't like hardcore challenges.

SECOND TIME PLAYING: HARD MODEFinishing the game once, unlocks Hard Mode. In Hard mode, enemies are faster and harder and you are weaker, something a little harder than Order of Ecclesia default setting. Hard Mode has exclusive items, equipment (and maybe Shards) that can't be found on Normal Mode.

THIRD TIME PLAYING: NIGHTMARE MODEFinishing the game on Hard Mode, unlocks Nightmare Mode. Now things get serious. Here's what i think how Nightmare Mode Should be, in 10 steps.

1) Enemies are even hader and faster than Hard Mode.2) Higher level enemies from other parts of the castle show up earlier. 3) Annoying enemies (medusa heads wannabe, flea man wannabe) show up in places they didn't existed in original game. Including all Boss Rooms (when possible).4) You can't level up. Miriam is locked in LV1, so, no grinding will save you. You can still level up shards (if that exists) and you can still increase your HP and MP with HP Max Up and MP Max up of sorts (if that exists).5)Items in Miriam's inventory are half-capped. So, if you can have 9 potions of each time, you can now have only 5 potions of each type, for instance.6) Monsters respawn after a random time (between 10 seconds to 1 minute) if you don't leave the area you are in. 7) Bosses (when possible) show up with a bunch of enemies alongside with them.8) Everytime you get hit, there is a 50% chance of losing money. The same amout you lost in HP.9) Nightmare Status. Any enemy (except annoying ones) can randomly enter in "Nightmare Mode" for some 5~10 seconds. In this mode, they gain a red aura and turn invincible, with double speed and damage, potentially capable of killing you in a single hit. Bosses also have this. 10) Nightmare Mode is a SELF-IMPOSED CHALLENGE, so, absolutely no new content (like equipment, powers, collectibles, story events) exist on it. Finishing it just awards the player with an achievment for online bragging.

Post by Enkeria Gin on Dec 24, 2016 7:03:23 GMT -6

Nightmare Mode is a SELF-IMPOSED CHALLENGE, so, absolutely no new content (like equipment, powers, collectibles, story events) exist on it. Finishing it just awards the player with an achievment for online bragging.

That's all folks!

If you finish..

Hard Mode: Top left UI changes to other colors, perhaps like silver.Nightmare Mode: Top left UI changes to gold.Classic Mode: Top left UI changes to pixelated version.Boss Rush Mode: Top left UI changes to dark / red evil themed style.Speed Run Mode: Top left UI changes to clockwork / steampunk.Rougelike Mode: Top left UI changes to a new gothic theme that goes well with the standard one, but a bit more stuff attached.

All can be toggled in the settings. - For friends, families, streams and videos to just brag about it too.

This could be an EASY fix, if the UI is handled such a way right at the beginning. Just swap images / overlay.

Post by Galamoth on Dec 24, 2016 11:21:53 GMT -6

THIRD TIME PLAYING: NIGHTMARE MODE4) You can't level up. Miriam is locked in LV1, so, no grinding will save you. You can still level up shards (if that exists) and you can still increase your HP and MP with HP Max Up and MP Max up of sorts (if that exists).9) Nightmare Status. Any enemy (except annoying ones) can randomly enter in "Nightmare Mode" for some 5~10 seconds. In this mode, they gain a red aura and turn invincible, with double speed and damage, potentially capable of killing you in a single hit. Bosses also have this. 10) Nightmare Mode is a SELF-IMPOSED CHALLENGE, so, absolutely no new content (like equipment, powers, collectibles, story events) exist on it.

These three specific items sound similar to Cheat Code suggestions I made in this past thread.

Post by ikai on Jan 15, 2017 5:21:09 GMT -6

An excellent suggestion! Which can work pretty well, i dare say!

People, have you played "Unepic", yet? Its developers, were heavily influenced by games like Castlevania. It has harder modes, some of which make enemies more dangerous, while at the same time, reward you with extra skill points, upon level up! This can work exceptionally well, should it be well designed and carefully implemented! It is a nice one!

crocodile: Thanks for the well wishes everyone. Been busy with life (+ no updates) means I haven't been checking around here super often but do know I still love all you guys Aug 16, 2017 18:11:01 GMT -6